Final Fantasy VII
by Dark-Boy
Summary: Final Fantasy VII - The game you all know and love in story form!
1. Final Fantasy VII: Prologue

Final Fantasy VII: Prologue  
  
The stars shined like tiny beacons in the night sky. The waves lapped against the shore. The trees swayed in the gentle breeze. A shame it was then, that the inhabitants of Midgar couldn't see all of this. All the citizens fortunate enough to be above the giant metallic plate had to put up with the Shinra Headquarters, a 70 floor building where President Shinra himself was based in, and the fumes from the eight Mako Reactors that powered the giant city. Even the starry sky seemed to be pure black during the night due to the pollution from Midgar. During the day, a dull grey blocked out the sun. Those below the plate were in the slum territory and there was no chance they would be able to see the sky at all, even if it wasn't worth looking at.  
  
Down the alley of a busy back street stood a very young woman. She was examining a fractured Mako pipe along the ground that gave off a faint green glow, emanating the area around her. She watched as little quantities of Mako occasionally escaped the pipe and drifted up into the air before evaporating into thin air. She eventually rose from her crouched position, looked around her miserable surroundings, picked up her flower basket and made her way back up the dark, cold alley.  
  
She emerged onto a major road. She looked to her left, spotting a small group of homeless people, all wearing tattered worn out clothes. They were sitting round a small fire, holding out their cold and shaking hands towards the flames like their life depended on it. The young girl turned the other direction, hoping to see something slightly more pleasant. Unfortunately, a group of podgy middle-aged men stood around a lamppost, smoking giant cigars and drinking out of what appeared to be whiskey bottles. They wolf-whistled and cheered at a young girl walking along the other side of the road, although any man would have done the same with the short skirt she was wearing.  
  
The flower woman was ready to cross the road and took one step onto it, when a car zoomed in front of her. The rush of air made her pink and red dress and long brown hair swirl around her vigorously. She stood for a moment and gave a long sigh, looking into her little flower basket. She hadn't been selling flowers at all lately, but decided to stay put for a little longer, just in case someone interesting came along... 


	2. The Beginning: Midgar

Chapter 1.) The Beginning: Midgar  
  
It sped along the rails like a bullet, although a bullet surely moved with more elegance than this. It seemed the train was ready to jump off the tracks whenever it approached a corner. Everything was rustic and run down. The outside of the carts, the insides too, the rails, the wheels, even the Shinra cart for HQ employees had seen better days. Mind you, he was in the cargo carriage, and it wasn't exactly designed for comfortable hospitality. He found it difficult to keep still, almost like a fidgeting child, and he couldn't get comfortable against the wooden boxes no matter how many positions he tried. At least he wasn't suffering alone.  
  
Cloud sat observing the others, not really interested in their names or their past. He had only joined the group the day before, and he wasn't keen on staying long either. He had huge blonde spiky hair that literally defied gravity and was wearing a dark purple sleeveless uniform with slightly baggy trousers. Black gloves covered his hands, his left wrist bore several metallic bangles and his boots were a murky brown. They nearly blended in with the floor of the carriage. His sword (called a Buster Sword) was probably 5 to 5½ feet in length and a thick giant blade it was too. It was the width of the hobble, roughly 1½ feet, with two small holes running up the sword vertically, not too far from the hobble itself. It was presently leaning against some cargo, with several worn out bandages wrapped around the dark red handle. A very faint green glow came from his eyes. Apparently it helped with the ladies, and probably explained why the one called Jessie occasionally glanced at him with an embarrassed smile on her face.  
  
There were four others beside him. The first three sat on his left side. Biggs was leaning against the carriage door with his arms folded and stared impatiently at the floor. He wore a red bandana that kept his short black hair unkempt, and was wearing a murky green vest and black combat trousers. He was easily the most athletic of the three, although still on the skinny side.  
  
Wedge lay on the floor and looked at the ceiling in a thoughtful manner. He wore a dirty yellow shirt, navy blue combat trousers and a thick brown belt with a giant silver buckle. Little tufts of black hair emerged from his bright red cap that he wore backwards. He was a lot larger than Biggs, but he wasn't exactly overweight, just a little podgy round the edges.  
  
Then there was Jessie, who sat with her legs crossed on a wooden box and when she wasn't staring into Clouds eyes, nervously looked at the walls. She wore murky green combats that were below knee length, a tight blue top and a lighter blue shirt over it that she left unbuttoned. Her light brown hair was tied in a ponytail and she was similarly built to Biggs. All three of them, like Cloud, were wearing brown boots. All three of them also asked him questions now and again. What family he had, where he came from, etc. But he only gave one-word answers, or sometimes answers with no words in them at all.  
  
The last member, Barret, was on his right and sat on a box contemplating something to himself. He was a black man, though his skin tone suggested that he was partially half-caste. He had very short black hair, and wore a dirty beige shirt. The sleeves appeared to have been ripped off purposely, leaving rough torn edges around the armholes. He had dark green trousers and giant brown boots. His face had a very serious look to it, and carried a thin moustache and beard too. Nobody dared disturb him. This was partially because he's the leader of the crew, but Cloud suspected it had something to do with his size. And not only was he an extremely tall heavily built man, his right fore arm had a machine gun grafted in its place. The barrel resembled a mini-gun and metal components would often clink and clank when he re-adjusted himself against the uncomfortable wooden boxes. Cloud sometimes stared at him with a look of intrigue and fear on his face. Barret just ignored him, just like he ignored everyone else that he didn't trust.  
  
The leader suddenly stood up from his deep in thought position, towering over the others. He gave Cloud an untrustworthy stare and then gave the signal to move out onto the top of the carriage. He reached up for a dirty leather handle and pulled it towards him. The rusty latch slid open with only a little hesitation, mainly because of Barret's strength. Cloud only realised exactly how loud the train was once the latch was open. Barret jumped up and grabbed the edge of the opening. He looked below at Cloud, again with an untrustworthy expression, before pulling himself up onto the roof of the carriage. Biggs and Jessie followed suit, although when it came to Wedge he struggled slightly. Biggs and Jessie each grabbed one of Wedge's hands, helping him up; if it were just Barret on the roof, he probably would have told Wedge to lose some weight, or at least give him a look insinuating it. Cloud jumped and clinged onto the edge with one only hand, as his Buster Sword was in the other. He raised it through the hole and placed it on the roof. Cloud was about to pull himself up, when Biggs' hand lowered down towards him, obviously offering him an aid. Cloud accepted it. They grabbed each other's wrists, allowing Biggs to pull Cloud up. Cloud's only sign of a 'thank you' to Biggs was via a hesitant nod. Biggs just smiled back.  
  
The speed of the train was more evident on the outside of the carriage than it was inside. The sheer rush made everyone's hair and clothing flap around, though Cloud's blonde spiky hair managed to keep its gravity defying style. He watched as the dark, metallic surroundings zoomed past in a blurred frenzy. Cloud grabbed his Buster Sword from the cold metallic roof and with the hand that he wasn't using to desperately cling onto the carriage, placed it into the sheath on his back. He waited silently, as did the others, knowing that in any moment, the train would approach the station. Any moment now, their most important mission to date would finally begin.  
  
Suddenly, the brakes were applied to the wheels, violently jolting the train. Their blurred surroundings were becoming clearer and clearer by the second, though it was still too dark to make them out properly. The platform was in sight. The waiting for Cloud was almost over. Eventually, the train screeched to a halt along the rustic rails and arrived at the station where it greeted two extremely confused guards. They waited to see who exactly was riding the train that shouldn't even be there. Biggs stood up from his crouched position and leaped off the train first, landing directly in front one of the guards. Before the guard could react, Biggs grabbed him by his uniform with his left hand, clenched his right fist and knocked the guard out with a single punch. The impact broke his nose, causing blood to stream down his face as he feel to the ground. Biggs was unaware that the second guard was approaching him from behind, ready to strike him with the baton that he wielded. Jessie, however, was aware. She immediately leaped off the train towards the threat and performed a flying kick, striking the second guard fiercely in the chest. He fell to the ground and was knocked out cold when his head collided with the concrete.  
  
Once the guards no longer posed a threat, Wedge jumped onto the platform, as did Barret. As Biggs, Wedge and Jessie ran off towards a flight of stairs, Barret looked back up towards the roof of the carriage and watched as Cloud casually backfliped onto the platform. He landed in a crouched position, looking up towards Barret, before calmly standing up, awaiting a response from the leader.  
  
"C'mon newcomer." said Barret. "Follow me."  
  
He ran off to join the others, while Cloud quickly searched the unconscious guards for any useful items. He frantically searched every crevice of their dark red uniforms. Luckily he pocketed two potions, but unluckily two Shinra soldiers wearing blue uniforms had arrived on the scene. They wore blue helmets over their heads with giant black visors; both were wielding much larger batons than the guards were. Cloud only noticed them when he stood up, so he wasn't aware of where they came from. But he did know that the only way to get to the North Mako Reactor was through both of them. Cloud slowly withdrew his Buster Sword and allowed them both to approach him. The soldiers' pace increased to a sprint. Holding his Buster Sword with both hands, he held it below his waist to the left of him, waiting until they were close enough. He waited and waited, until the time was just right.  
  
When both the guards were close enough, he performed a diagonal spinning jump, allowing the soldiers strikes to miss Cloud completely. Before he landed behind them, his quick spin allowed his Buster Sword to strike them both fiercely from behind. The sword sliced through their backs like a knife through butter, accompanied by the agonising screams of both men before falling to the ground in a pool of their own blood. He left the bloody uniformed soldiers on the dirty concrete floor and made his way towards the North Mako Reactor main gate. Biggs, Wedge and Jessie had already arrived, although Barret wasn't with them. The others didn't seem bothered about it, so Cloud decided not to bring it up. As Jessie began to unlock the gigantic metallic gate via a keypad, Biggs suddenly spoke to Cloud.  
  
"Wow! You used to be in SOLDIER, huh?...Not everyday you find one in a  
group like AVALANCHE."  
  
"SOLDIER? Aren't they the enemy?" Jessie exclaimed, turning around  
sharply to look at Cloud. "What's he doing with us in AVALANCHE?!"  
  
"Relax, Jessie." he said calmly, re-adjusting his red bandana. "He WAS  
in SOLDIER. But he quit and is with us now. I didn't catch your name  
by the way..."  
  
"...Cloud." he replied hesitantly.  
  
Biggs' eyebrows rose slightly, "Cloud, eh? Kinda cool. I'm..."  
  
"I don't care what your names are." he said, shaking his head. "Once  
this job is over, I am outta here."  
  
Nobody replied with anything. Several uncomfortable silences passed while Jessie grew more and more frustrated with the lock. Finally, the rustic gate began to open.  
  
"Yes, it's opening!" she exclaimed.  
  
Barret finally arrived on the scene looking very pissed off.  
  
"What the hell you all doin'!?" he shouted.  
  
"We were opening the gate!" Jessie replied. "You asked..."  
  
He interrupted Jessie, "I thought I told you never to move in a  
group!!"  
  
They all stood silently for several moments while Barret calmed  
himself down.  
  
"Right. Our target is the North Mako Reactor, so we'll meet on the  
walkway in front of it. Let's move out!"  
  
Once the gigantic door finished opening, Biggs, Wedge and Jessie entered while Barret and Cloud ran after them. Barret suddenly stopped. Cloud stopped running too and had a questionable look on his face. Barret looked over his shoulder, staring at Cloud with that untrustworthy look yet again. He eventually said something.  
  
"Ex-SOLDIER, huh? I don't trust ya!"  
  
He ran off ahead, while Cloud smirked to himself and eventually followed him, entering the North Mako Reactor. 


	3. Inside The North Mako Reactor

Chapter 2.) Inside the North Mako Reactor  
  
Cloud moved cautiously onto the gigantic suspending T-shaped walkway. The sound of a metallic clank accompanied every single step seemed he took, every one of which echoed endlessly around him. He peered over the rusty railing to find himself looking down at what appeared to be a slum of some description, although a faint layer of green mist that occupied the air prevented him from being completely certain. The walkway was so high above the slums, that anything he could make out appeared to be the size of his fingernail. Deciding not to become too distracted from the mission at hand, he turned right onto the second walkway that would lead towards the control room. He suddenly spotted Wedge standing at the opposite entrance however, and became extremely confused that he wasn't with the group. Wedge noticed Cloud's confusion and shouted to him.  
  
Wedge: "I'll secure our escape passage. You concentrate on the mission, Cloud.........we're really gonna blow this huge furnace up, huh? This'll be somethin' to see!"  
  
Cloud was worried at Wedge's excitement towards such a dangerous mission but forgot about it promptly and ran ahead to catch up with the others. He rushed up a small flight of stairs and approached the group who were standing outside another door. A small control panel was mounted on the wall to the left of the door, which was having its' buttons pressed rapidly by an impatient Biggs who was attempting to decipher the code for the lock. Jessie sat cross-legged on the floor with her head in her hands, while Barret leaned against the wall with his arms-folded. Both were looking very bored. Cloud noticed that Barret was still ignoring him, which meant that he still wasn't trusted either. Eventually though, Barret spoke to him.  
  
Barret: "Yo! This your first time in a reactor?"  
  
Cloud: "No. After all, I did work for Shinra."  
  
Barret: "The planet's full of Mako energy. People here use it everyday. It's the life blood of this planet. But Shinra keeps suckin' the blood out with these weird machines."  
  
Cloud: "I'm not here for a lecture. Let's just do it."  
  
Barret quickly became very angry at Cloud's impatience and lack of concern.  
  
Barret: "Alright! You're coming with me from now on, newcomer."  
  
Biggs: "Finally!" he exclaimed. "Code deciphered!"  
  
Barret: "About time, jackass! Let's go!"  
  
After several bleeps from the control panel, the huge metallic door slid open. They rushed into the next room, where they were confronted by another security door.  
  
Biggs: "Dammit! Not again!"  
  
Jessie: "Don't worry...leave it to me." she said calmly.  
  
Jessie coolly approached the control panel and began pushing several buttons on the keypad. In to time at all, the door was unlocked.  
  
Jessie: "There! Code deciphered!" she said gleefully.  
  
Biggs jealousy was expressed when he mumbled Jessie's words in a high- pitched mocking tone. As the control pad beeped and the door slid open, Biggs paused for a moment before turning to Jessie.  
  
Biggs: "Hey Jessie. Think how many of our people risked their lives, just for this code..."  
  
Jessie: "...L-Let's move on. We've got a reactor to destroy a-after all..."  
  
Cloud could tell she was uncomfortable with what Biggs had said. But when he came to think about, Biggs was probably right. Not wanting to ponder over it for too long, he entered an elevator with Jessie and Barret, while Biggs remained outside to act as sentry and secure the passage.  
  
Jessie: "Push that button over there!" she said to Cloud, pointing towards the wall.  
  
Biggs: "Be careful, guys."  
  
Cloud pushed the flashing blue and red button on the wall. The rustic doors gradually came together, making an uncomfortable screeching noise as they did. As the lift began to descend down the long shaft, Barret tried to continue his previous talk about Shinra's evil deeds.  
  
Barret: "Little by little, the reactors will drain out all the life. Then that'll be that."  
  
Cloud: "It's not my problem." he replied, obviously not interested in what Barret had to say.  
  
Barret: "The planet's dyin', Cloud!" he shouted angrily. "Don't you care?!"  
  
Cloud gave a long sigh.  
  
Cloud: "The only thing I care about is finishing this job before security and the Roboguards come."  
  
Barret clenched his fist and murmured something under his breath, before controlling himself and leaning against the back wall with his arms crossed, giving Cloud an irritated stare. After several uncomfortable silences, the lift eventually arrived on the ground floor with a sharp stop. The doors opened with their previous screeching noise and revealed a long stairway that lead past what could only be described as a giant boiler. A mildly green mist escaped out from the funnel and evaporated into the pitch black above them. They rushed down the stairs and made their way through another door, which led into a gigantic room, full of massive girders and metal pipes. The amount of mist that occupied the room was more prominent than before, but they could just make out a walkway very far below them.  
  
Cloud: "What do we do now?"  
  
Jessie: "We go down." she said, jumping onto an angled ladder that was attached to a giant pipe.  
  
Barret: "You gotta be kiddin."  
  
Cloud and Barret followed suit, even if Barret wasn't entirely comfortable with it; after all he only had one hand to use. After clambering down several more ladders and girders, Jessie suddenly stopped. Barret continued the next ladder while Cloud stopped to find out what the problem was.  
  
Jessie: "You go on with Barret, Cloud. I'll be waiting for you here. Good luck!"  
  
Cloud had guessed that like Wedge and Biggs, she was securing the passage. He continued after Barret down another ladder and along some large pipes that led into the rear wall of the room. Barret jumped onto the wall- mounted ladder and began climbing down the extremely long ladder that led to the walkway. Climbing down ladders was generally difficult with one hand, but one as long as this made Barret a little pissed off. Cloud could occasionally hear Barret saying something, usually along the lines of 'goddamn ladders'. When he finally arrived at the bottom, he stepped off onto the walkway and looked up at Cloud, who decided it would be fun to jump onto the ladder and begin sliding down the railings. He quickly landed on the walkway with a thud and Barret had to promptly jump away from the ladder to avoid being hit. Cloud turned to Barret and looked at his pissed off face, trying his hardest not to smirk.  
  
Barret: ".........smart ass." he eventually said, pretending to be unimpressed with Cloud's stunt, although he was clearly jealous of it too.  
  
They both continued along the giant walkway and both took time to look over the edge. Below them was what appeared to be Mako being sucked up giant suction pipes. It gave off a bright turquoise iridescence that illuminated the entire room. Normally it would be a very bright green, but it appeared that the resource of Mako for this particular reactor was beginning to diminish slightly. There was more mist occupying the room than normal too, so it was difficult to see their surroundings. As they neared the main control panel for the reactor, Cloud spotted a 'Restore' Materia lying in front of him. He crouched down and picked it up, but couldn't equip it as he already had a 'Bolt' and 'Ice' Materia equipped. It glowed softly in his hand and was quite happy to stare at its green luminosity for a while, before pocketing it and continuing towards the control panel.  
  
Barret: "When we blow this place, it ain't gonna be nothin' more than a hunka junk. Cloud, you set the bomb."  
  
Cloud: "Shouldn't you do it?" he replied with a confused tone.  
  
Barret: "Jus' do it! I gotta watch to make sure you don't pull nothin'."  
  
Cloud: "Fine, I'll do it." he said, while implying Barret to calm down.  
  
Cloud was about to approach the control panel, when everything around him became silent. He tried to speak, but not a sound came from his lips. He tried shouting. Still nothing. Everything around him turned to a dark and murky red. A high-pitched whine began ringing in Cloud's ears and he covered them quickly to try and stop the pain. The pain grew and grew, until everything turned black and only the faint noise of a heartbeat that gradually grew stronger and stronger remained. He heard a faint voice, which sounded oddly familiar.  
  
"Watch out! This isn't just a reactor!!"  
  
A bright white flash brought him back to reality, and Barret looking extremely puzzled.  
  
Barret: "What's wrong?"  
  
Cloud: "Huh?" he said, still confused by the hallucination.  
  
Barret: "What's wrong, Cloud? Hurry it up!"  
  
Cloud: "Yeah, sorry."  
  
Cloud walked over to the keypad and knelt down as he entered a 24 digit number code. Beeping noises from the keypad echoed endlessly in the massive reactor room. Everything turned quiet for few moments. Suddenly, loud sirens began blaring from all around them. Red alarm lights began flashing. Cloud and Barret looked around frantically, waiting nervously for whatever surprise that was coming for them. They waited and waited. Suddenly, a loud clank came behind them, followed by strong vibrations. Something had landed on the walkway, and as it proceeded towards them, the mist began to clear. Their opponent was made clear.  
  
Barret: "Heads up, here it comes!" 


End file.
